Audio 4:22
Calls for boycott of Sri Lanka as CHOGM host

Michael EdwardsUpdated
Mon 28 Oct 2013, 7:00 PM AEDT

India's prime minister is under increasing pressure to boycott next month's Commonwealth leaders' meeting in Sri Lanka because of concerns about that country's human rights record. Canada's prime minister has already announced he'll not attend CHOGM because of Sri Lanka's reputation for human rights abuse.

Transcript

DAVID MARK: India's prime minister is under increasing pressure to boycott next month's Commonwealth leaders' meeting in Sri Lanka because of concerns about that country's human rights record.

Tamils are one of India's biggest ethnic communities and they largely sympathise with the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.

Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died in Sri Lanka's civil war and many still complain of abuses at the hands of the security forces.

South Asia correspondent, Michael Edwards, reports.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: India has a population of more than 70 million Tamils, most of whom live in the state of Tamil Nadu in the country's south. They share the same language and culture as the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Sentiments run deep between the two communities that are separated by only a few kilometres of water between India and Sri Lanka.

At times during Sri Lanka's civil war, Indian Tamils provided shelter and support for Tamil separatists. And the overwhelming feeling among India's Tamil community is that the prime minister Manmohan Singh should not be attending next month's Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Colombo.

TKS Elangovan is the spokesman for one of India's main Tamil parties, the DMK (Dravida Munnertra Kazhagam).

TKS ELANGOVAN: It is the general view of the people that Sri Lanka should be taught a lesson. Teaching a lesson it means that India should boycott the CHOGM.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Sri Lanka's is accused of wide ranging human rights abuses during and after the country's civil war.

The UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, recently said that the country is headed towards authoritarianism under the president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Human rights groups say security forces are involved with abductions and torture. Journalists report intimidation and threats if they say what the government doesn't want them to.

Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, has taken notice and will not attend CHOGM.

But Britain's leader, David Cameron, and the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, are set to go.

Meenakshi Ganguly is the head of Human Rights Watch in South Asia.

MEENAKSHI GANGULY: If leaders are going to attend they must still press for accountability, ensure that Sri Lankan government gets the message that the world has not forgotten. And that the summit should not be treated as some sort of party or a photo op. that will just indicate to the world that the pressure is now off.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: The Tamil Nadu State Assembly has passed a resolution calling for Manmohan Singh to boycott the Colombo meeting, and for Sri Lanka to be kicked out of the Commonwealth.

Tamil parties control a number of federal seats. The support of these groups could be crucial for the Congress Party to form a ruling coalition after next year's election.

But the government's political opponents say Manmohan Singh should attend as a way to hold Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to account.

Subramanian Swamy is a senior leader of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), India's main opposition party.

SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY: The fact of the matter is that the correct procedure would be that the prime minister should go to Sri Lanka, meet the elected Tamil representatives, have a talk with them first, and find out exactly what are their aspirations and demands.

And then make it clear to Rajapaksa, and tell him that this is what we would like to see happen. We don't want to interfere in the internal affairs, but we are, we can always give, express our opinion, and we are expressing it to you.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: And there is some support for this view among the Tamil community.

Dr Nanditha Krishna is a prominent Tamil historian and social commentator in Chennai.

NANDITHA KRISHNA: There is no doubt that every Tamilian is extremely upset, angry, anguished at the state of the Tamilians in Sri Lanka. But I would look at it differently. I think the prime minister should go and use it as an opportunity, get up on the stage and instead of saying the few platitudes, he should get up and say that what you have done to the Tamils is wrong, you cannot go round imprisoning fishermen, etc, so on. I think that is a very wonderful chance for the prime minister to go there and speak for the Tamils.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: The Sri Lankan government is urging all Commonwealth members to resist what it describes as a propaganda campaign by Tamil separatists and come to CHOGM.

Britain's prime minister, David Cameron, has indicated he'll visit northern Sri Lanka, where most of the country's Tamils live, during his visit.